Kowalski, Elizabeth, MM One Hundred Forty-Six - Uncg

Kowalski, Elizabeth, M.M. One Hundred Forty-Six: The Score for a Music and Modern

Dance Theater Production about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911.

(2013)

Directed by Mark Engebretson. 71 pp.

One Hundred Forty-Six is a music and dance theater production portraying an

artistic memorial to the victims, tragedy, and progress of the historical Triangle

Shirtwaist Factory Fire of March 25, 1911. The music, composed by Elizabeth L.

Kowalski, was scored for string quartet with added electronics. Images and sounds

of textile factory work and the events of the fire and memorial are communicated

throughout the music. The score is accompanied here by a written document

explaining the work. One Hundred Forty-Six has an approximate duration of 45

minutes. The premiere was held in the UNCG Dance Theater on March 30, 2012,

shortly after the 101st anniversary of the fire

ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX: THE SCORE FOR A MUSIC AND

MODERN DANCE THEATER PRODUCTION ABOUT THE

TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE OF 1911

by

Elizabeth Kowalski

A Thesis Submitted to

the Faculty of The Graduate School at

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Music

Greensboro

2013

Approved by

Mark Engebretson

Committee Chair

ii

APPROVAL PAGE

This thesis has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of The

Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Committee Chair Mark Engebretson

Committee Members Alejandro Rutty

Wilburn Young

January 20, 2013

Date of Acceptance by Committee

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................... iv

CHAPTER

I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1

II. EXPLANATION OF THE MUSIC ......................................................................................... 5

III. THE SCORE ..............................................................................................................................19

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................ 67

iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 1. Sections, titles and durations ......................................................................................... 6

Figure 2. Flow of dynamics ................................................................................................................ 6

Figure 3. Main theme for the workers ........................................................................................... 7

Figure 4. Krekhts ornamentation (Yiddish for “sobs”) ........................................................... 7

Figure 5. Partial workers’ theme at rehearsal number 2,

measure 19, in the cello ............................................................................................... 8

Figure 6. First full reference to the workers’ theme in the cello, measure 31 ............... 9

Figure 7. The Ahava Rabba mode (or the altered Phrygian scale)

starting on C-sharp .....................................................................................................11

Figure 8. Double stop theme in the violins at rehearsal

number 22, measure 369 .........................................................................................14

Figure 9. Fighting the Fire, measures 393-403 ........................................................................16

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

One Hundred Forty-Six is a music and dance theater production that was

created as a thesis project in collaboration with Denise Murphy, a student

choreographer also at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The entire

work is a memorial to the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of March

25, 1911, in New York City.

Until September 11, 2001, the fire in the Triangle Waist Company garment

factory held the record for the worst work-place fire in New York City.1 Located in

lower Manhattan, the factory occupied the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of its

building.

It is believed that the fire started from someone throwing a cigarette butt or

match into one of the waste bins that were used to hold the thin cotton materials

and paper patterns.2 Due to the material, the fire spread very quickly and the

factory personnel were slow to report the fire at first. The firemen were only

notified when a pedestrian used the fire callbox and in all, it took them

approximately thirty minutes by the time they arrived via horse and buggy and

1 John M. Hoenig, “The Triangle fire of 1911,” History Magazine, April/May 2005, 20.

2 David Von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America (New York: Atlantic

Monthly Press, 2003), 119.

2

extinguished the blaze. During that half hour, however, 146 people died – most of

whom were young Jewish and Italian immigrant women between the ages of sixteen

to twenty-three.3 Some people, including the owners (Max Blanck and Isaac Harris),

made it to the roof of the building safely. The rest of the workers trapped inside did

not survive because of a broken fire escape (which was supposed to have been fixed

long before), a narrow blocked staircase, non-functioning sprinklers, and a locked

exit door to prevent theft. Victims died from incineration, smoke inhalation, or

falling or leaping from the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors. Had there been better regulations

and care to use safety precautions, the unnecessary loss of life could have been

easily avoided.

Despite the horrifying event that transpired that day, it was a pivotal

moment in the history the U.S. Labor Movement and American workers' rights.4

Union membership grew from 30,000 in 1909 to 250,000 in 1913.5 Many laws and

regulations began to come into place to improve the standards of working

conditions.6 Over a hundred years later, safety protocol and regulations continue to

help workers to make a living in safe working environments with fair pay.7

3 “The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire.” Cornell University, accessed January 24, 2012,

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/.

4 John M. Hoenig, “The Triangle fire of 1911,” 22-23.

5 David Von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, 172.

6 David Von Drehle, “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: A Lasting Legacy, 100

Years Later,” Time Magazine, March 26, 2011, accessed January 24, 2012,

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2061228-1,00.html. 7 David Von Drehle, Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, 172.

3

Unfortunately, a large number of factories and companies worldwide, even in

America, still take advantage of workers by paying them below minimum wages to

even sometimes nothing for their work through indentured servitude or slavery –

maximizing profits and minimizing costs.8 In other parts of the world where they do

not have laws and regulations, or where the laws and regulations are not followed,

workers are constantly being put in harm’s way and their hazardous working

conditions have become the norm.9 In repeats and variations of the 1911 fire at the

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, thousands of people struggling to make a living have

lost their lives in recent years.10 Change, however, has either been avoided or

extremely slow.

Deciding to take on this project, I knew that the work and immersion that I

would need to do for this piece would help me better understand the event and its

positive and negative consequences. It was not only an enlightening experience that

allowed me to create art to speak to people's emotions by telling a story, but it was

also a chance for me to offer my work as more than just an artistic statement. First,

8 “Cashing In – Giant Retailers, Purchasing Practices, and Working Conditions in the

Garment Industry,” last modified February 1, 2009, http://www.cleanclothes.org/

resources/ccc/working-conditions/cashing-in.

9 “International Action Day for Workers Health & Safety in Bangladesh,” last

modified April 1, 2006, http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/international-action-

day-bangladesh.

10 Shackle, Samira. “Karachi’s Factory Fire Exposes Pakistan’s Lax Health and Safety

Regime: Under pressure from wealthy industrialists putting profits over worker

safety, labour inspections are on the slide in Pakistan.” The Guardian, September 14,

2012. Accessed September 25, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/

2012/sep/14/karachi-factory-fire-pakistan-health-safety

4

it is a remembrance and display of honor to those who died in the fire. Second, the

work recognizes and shows appreciation to the people who have fought tirelessly

and sacrificed so much for the sake of workers' safety and social justice through

protest and social movements. Third, it is an effort to raise awareness of the same

type of events that are happening currently. Fourth, the work serves to also raise

awareness of inequality in gender and the value of women's work. Since most of the

victims were females, the experience was even more personalized through an all-

female dance cast, myself as the composer, and Denise Murphy as the

choreographer. My ultimate hope is that through my music and the collaboration of

our artistic efforts, we can raise awareness and in turn inspire change.

One Hundred Forty-Six, was premiered in the UNCG Dance Theater on March

30, 2012. The premiere took place shortly after the 101st anniversary of the fire and

during Women’s History month. Later, in May, 2012, a mini twelve-minute version

of the work, entitled Vanishing Souls | Falling Embers, was selected to be performed

at the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

During the festival at the Kennedy Center, the piece was awarded the ACDFA/Dance

Magazine Award (American College Dance Festival Association).11 The entire

duration of One Hundred Forty-Six is approximately forty-five minutes.

Recordings are available for listening at either www.themusicqueen.com, or

at www.soundcloud.com/epianoqueen/sets/one-hundred-forty-six.

11 American College Dance Festival Association, Newsletter, September 2012: 4,

http://www.acdfa.org/images/files/acdfafall2012newsletter.pdf (accessed October

19, 2012).

5

CHAPTER II

EXPLANATION OF THE MUSIC

Through the music, I strived to represent the individual lives, community,

and the cultures of the mostly Italian and Jewish female immigrant workers. I have

also merged the sounds and atmosphere of their working environment, the fire, and

the memorial service into the technicalities and emotion of my work.

Figures 1 and 2 can assist in understanding the overall layout and mapping of the

entire work. The first figure outlines the overall groupings, sections, relationships,

and durations (see fig. 1). The second figure serves as a map of dynamic levels, or

intensity (see fig. 2). The number “0” refers to the lowest dynamic level in the entire

work (ppp), while the number “7” refers to the highest dynamic level (fff). Data was

collected for dynamic levels at the start of each piece, at each rehearsal number, and

at a few other significant musical moments. Significant moments in the music were

places that that were not at the start or labeled with a rehearsal number. Rather,

they were points for changes in expression or tempo. Most of the dynamic levels

stay in the general ranges throughout any of the given pieces, but in the more

chaotic “Fighting the Fire,” there are drastic sudden changes in dynamics and the

two peaks to the highest dynamic markings in the entire work.

6

Figure 1. Sections, titles and durations.

Groupings Title Duration

I The people: a closer look at the

individual lives, relationships,

and culture of the workers. Also,

moments of tribute to the victims.

1. Memories 4:42

2. Premonition 2:25

3. It Rained That Day 8:00

4. Interlude* 1:18

5. Freylekhs Dance 4:44

6. Lullaby* 1:35

7. Dead to Work* 1:30

II The workday and events on the

day of the fire.

8. To Work 4:46

9. Fighting the Fire 3:30

10. No Escape 2:37

III Remembering those who died.

Showing the grief followed by the

persistence to make a change.

11. Threnody 10:30

12. Grave 4:00

13. Funeral 4:51

Figure 2. Flow of dynamics.

* These pieces were not used in the final cut of One Hundred Forty-Six.

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Dy

na

mic

Le

ve

l

Titles and Rehearsal Numbers

Dynamics

The main workers’ theme

To Work (see figure 3) can be referred to as the DNA of the entire work

played by the cello. Other technical themes consist of violin sustains in a piercingly

high pitch to symbolize

like strums on the string instruments, slides, and even krekhts

ornamentation; Yiddish for "sobs")

The folk characteristics woven throughout the piece aim to connect the images to

the time and place while

this, the frequent use of melody given to the violin is used to symbolize its cultural

and historical prevalence of the era.

Figure 3. Main theme for the workers

Figure 4. Krekhts ornamentation (Yiddish for “sobs”)

12 Jake Shulman-Ment, “Klezmer Fiddle “Krekhts” ornament with Jake Shulman

Ment,” YouTube Web site, 2:52,

November 24, 2011). 7

The main workers’ theme that is fully realized by the cello in measures 285

can be referred to as the DNA of the entire work

. Other technical themes consist of violin sustains in a piercingly

the screams of the victims, folk techniques such as guitar

like strums on the string instruments, slides, and even krekhts (a type of

rnamentation; Yiddish for "sobs") to represent a mournful sound (see figure 4


while conveying the emotions of the people involved. Along with


d historical prevalence of the era.

. Main theme for the workers.

Krekhts ornamentation (Yiddish for “sobs”).

Ment, “Klezmer Fiddle “Krekhts” ornament with Jake Shulman

site, 2:52, http://youtu.be/wDZHO3ip2ac (accessed

that is fully realized by the cello in measures 285-291 in

can be referred to as the DNA of the entire work and is often

. Other technical themes consist of violin sustains in a piercingly

the screams of the victims, folk techniques such as guitar-

(a type of

(see figure 4).12


the emotions of the people involved. Along with


Ment, “Klezmer Fiddle “Krekhts” ornament with Jake Shulman-

(accessed

The first piece of music comes in as the sounds of the memorial’s church bells

and horse drawn wagons come to a fade and the lights come up ever so slightly to

create a dark dim setting.

common time. The melody’s direction is based off of the main worker’s theme but is

varied and augmented in rhythm

pizzicati on the off beats.

Beginning along with the music,

choreographed movements from the ground depict

Their movements include

and rolling. The emotion of the music ties in to the dance as the audience

their past – memories of happiness

took them away.

At rehearsal number 2,

main work theme in the bass of the cello

was in 4/4 picks up soon in the diffe

in the manner of a waltz

Viola play arco on either a

continues to allude to the main work theme in the bass.

Figure 5. Partial workers’ theme at rehearsal number 2

8


se drawn wagons come to a fade and the lights come up ever so slightly to

create a dark dim setting. Memories begins with a lilting folk-like violin prelude in

. The melody’s direction is based off of the main worker’s theme but is

augmented in rhythm. As the melody repeats, it is accompanied by

off beats.

Beginning along with the music, four dancers begin to execute ominously

choreographed movements from the ground depicting the individuals that

movements include reaching out towards the audience, pulling at their faces,

The emotion of the music ties in to the dance as the audience

memories of happiness, twisted by the memories of the tragedy that

At rehearsal number 2, the meter shifts to 6/8 with a slight allusion to the

main work theme in the bass of the cello (see figure 5). The same folk melody that

was in 4/4 picks up soon in the different 6/8 section with a similar, but heavier, lilt

n the manner of a waltz. Instead of the pizzicato accompaniment, the Violin II and

on either a soft syncopated sustained note or tremolo

continues to allude to the main work theme in the bass.

theme at rehearsal number 2, measure 19, in the cello.


se drawn wagons come to a fade and the lights come up ever so slightly to

like violin prelude in

. The melody’s direction is based off of the main worker’s theme but is

. As the melody repeats, it is accompanied by

execute ominously

individuals that died.

, pulling at their faces,

The emotion of the music ties in to the dance as the audience reflects on

tragedy that

allusion to the

. The same folk melody that

rent 6/8 section with a similar, but heavier, lilt

. Instead of the pizzicato accompaniment, the Violin II and

or tremolo while the cello

The first compete allusion to the main worker’s theme is made by the cello in

measure 31 with the last interval being a 2

figure 6). By the time we reach

motive gets passed around the string pa

choreography, a girl emerges as a soloist. She is pointing to an image of the building

on fire. As she is moving her arm

slowly turns to point at the audience.

sustained pitches in the violin to create a sense of fear, unpredictability, and allude

to the screams coming from the fire.

Figure 6. First full reference to

Premonition, while apprehensive and chaotic, forewarns about the tragic

event to come. The soloist dancer has moments of

dark background, dancers are sitting on benches

pressing the peddle on the

tremolos in the strings, uncommon syncopations, and a melody that is sli

frantic and unpredictable

the violin plays grace note figures like the Klezmer

participate in an exchange from rehearsal number 9

9


with the last interval being a 2nd as an inversion of the original 7

. By the time we reach rehearsal number 4, the main melody’s beginning

motive gets passed around the string parts in either variation or retrograde. In the


. As she is moving her arm in a slow, unpredictable, circular pattern, she

slowly turns to point at the audience. At the end of Memories, there are high


to the screams coming from the fire.

reference to the workers’ theme in the cello, measure 31.

, while apprehensive and chaotic, forewarns about the tragic

The soloist dancer has moments of panic and trembling while in the

dark background, dancers are sitting on benches each motioning one foo

pressing the peddle on their sewing machine. This is reflected in Premonition

tremolos in the strings, uncommon syncopations, and a melody that is sli

frantic and unpredictable to give an uneasy feeling of worry. At rehearsal number 9,

grace note figures like the Klezmer krekhts. The violin and cello

participate in an exchange from rehearsal number 9 (figure 4) to the end until t


as an inversion of the original 7th (see

rehearsal number 4, the main melody’s beginning

variation or retrograde. In the


in a slow, unpredictable, circular pattern, she

, there are high-


, while apprehensive and chaotic, forewarns about the tragic

trembling while in the

one foot as if

Premonition by

tremolos in the strings, uncommon syncopations, and a melody that is slightly

. At rehearsal number 9,

The violin and cello

to the end until the

10

staggered entrances on unison leaving the cello to play alone.

The next piece is an aleatoric piece based on the dreary rainy day of the mass

funeral for the victims of the fire. It Rained That Day is meant to be played

“Improvisatory; Like soft slow drops of rain,” and accompanied by a recording of

rain. To give the effect of rain in the string quartet, I employed only short, light

sounds. The piece is made up of three boxes of notes for the string quartet and each

box was to be played for the prescribed amount of time. Pitches could be played

either col legno or pizzicato, and if desired, they could be played in different octaves,

or as a harmonic. Performers were instructed not to use arco except for when they

play a very soft and short harmonic.

The solo dancer leads into a routine and others follow one by one to create a

chorus of the same motions. Strings blend in with the rain by pizzicati, light col

legno playing, and short light harmonic sounds. During the piece, the names of the

victims from the fire were spoken. Once all of the dancers are in rows doing a

chorus movement in unison, the former soloist begins slowly walking down a row

and as she passes the other dancers, they follow her. Another contrast here

between the music and dance is the orderliness in the choreography and the

aleatoric, or random, qualities of the “rain music.”

Soon enough, all of the dancers are in lines walking past each other. This

symbolizes the procession for the factory workers – the mundane routine of so

many people almost everyday. Drawing the piece to a close, the rain fades out and

the dancers walk into a position to where they eventually come together to create a

“family portrait” and a light flashes as

next section called the Freylekhs Dance

Figure 7. The Ahava Rabba mode (or the altered Phrygian scale)

Based on the actual

(Yiddish for “joyful” or “festive”

celebrations in weddings and bar mitzvahs

piece, features many common folk characteristics such as guitar

the instruments of the string quartet

krekhts. The piece is traditionally played

scales are generally used in freylekh

Ahava Rabbah melodic mode

of the raised 3̂ (see figure

folk tunes and does sound similar to the characteristically

Emphasizing family, friends, and relationships, the dance uses duos and trios

dancing together, playing games,

carrying and lifts. Larger groups

13 Philip V. Bolhman, “Jewish Music in Europe,”

Volume 8: Europe, ed. Timothy Rice, James Porter, and Chris Goertzen (New York:

Routledge: 2000), 8:25311


“family portrait” and a light flashes as if a picture was taken. This then leads into the

Freylekhs Dance.

Figure 7. The Ahava Rabba mode (or the altered Phrygian scale) starting on C-sharp.

actual Klezmer dance genre and musical style called “

or “festive”), this is a major part of Eastern European Jewish

celebrations in weddings and bar mitzvahs. The Freylekhs Dance, a lively

features many common folk characteristics such as guitar-like strums

the instruments of the string quartet, slides, snaps, fast movements, trills, and

traditionally played in three repeated sections.

generally used in freylekhs pieces, but the specific one that I

Ahava Rabbah melodic mode13, is also known as an altered Phrygian scale because

(see figure 7). This scale is common to numerous eastern European

folk tunes and does sound similar to the characteristically Spanish Phrygian mode.


dancing together, playing games, spinning, jumping, and supporting each other with

carrying and lifts. Larger groups break out and offer a counterpoint wi

Philip V. Bolhman, “Jewish Music in Europe,” Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

, ed. Timothy Rice, James Porter, and Chris Goertzen (New York:

3.


if a picture was taken. This then leads into the

sharp.

called “freylekhs”

this is a major part of Eastern European Jewish

, a lively dance

e strums on all of

fast movements, trills, and also

Three types of

specific one that I chose, the

altered Phrygian scale because

. This scale is common to numerous eastern European

Spanish Phrygian mode.


and supporting each other with

break out and offer a counterpoint with a circle

Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

, ed. Timothy Rice, James Porter, and Chris Goertzen (New York:

12

dance reminiscent of the traditional freylekhs dance. Some of the movements used

are motives from the work and fire scenes, but are done in an upbeat and spirited

way. With a duo dancing during the energetic coda, they form the family picture a

second time at the close of the typical and descending VIII-V-I cadence.

Neither Interlude, Lullaby, nor Dead to Work were used as a part of the dance

production, but they were extra musical pieces created for possible scenes.

Interlude is a melancholic folk melody in a “tearful” 3/4 based off of the main work

theme. The melody is passed around the quartet in an exchange, but mostly is

featured in the Violin I part, which also displays the Klezmer influence of krekhts

and trills.

In the sweetly haunting tune of Lullaby, I really wanted to communicate the

twisted emotions in this piece right after the cheerful Freylekhs Dance. I composed

this piece envisioning the women workers tired and exhausted – after working full

days in the sewing factory followed by the time they spent with their friends and

family in the cheerful Freylekhs Dance. Not only did they often work with their

family members, but also they slept in the same tight quarters.

Lullaby moves along very delicately with pizzicati, again using a varied

workers’ theme in the melody. At times, a lowered 2̂ is nostalgic of Freylekhs Dance

and its altered Phrygian scale. The swift tempo even breaks down with fatigue at

times, slowing in three different phrases in the short piece. In the Molto Adagio

section at the end, the Violin I, Viola, and Cello play a broken G-Major chord in

13

pizzicato, followed by a long, drawn out slide in the Violin II to where the quartet

comes to rest on a warm E-minor 7 chord with a 2nd instead of the 3rd.

In the dance theater production, the last piece to be heard before To Work is

the Freylekhs Dance. The light-hearted vitality of the dance and music serves to lift

the mood and create a sense of ease going into the next piece, To Work. After all,

none of the women expected anything to go horribly wrong as it did and they were

probably approaching the workday with a simplistic expectedness of the mundane

workday. Over the next two movements – To Work and Fighting the Fire – the music

and dance will build up to the main climax of the entire work which is towards the

end of Fighting the Fire through No Escape.

To Work starts out with a tape of what I call “sewing machine music” –

sewing machine and factory sounds in rhythm. Sounds from the factory include

mechanical sounds, scissor snaps, dings, clicks, cloth tears, cloth waving, cloth in

motion. Sound samples of the sewing machine and factory noises were placed in

several different beat patterns on a drum machine in the computer program called

Reason. The factory sounds are used to accent the constant sewing machine beat,

give cues to the dancers, and coincide with their movements. The music is coupled

with choreography that is meant to depict the workers as both machines and

humans. Rolling and jumping movements continue to foreshadow the fire to come.

The quartet score for To Work begins at the same time as the “sewing

machine music” with the cello and viola meddling with the beginning of the main

theme. The first true appearance of the main theme is heard four measures into the

cello solo. During the cello solo, which stays in

restatement of the theme, the choreography makes use of benches as props for the

dancers to sit as they “work.” Different formation

come together and alternate by the dancers sitting upright and bending down.

Figure 8. Double stop theme in the violins at rehearsal number 22, measure 369.

In the second half of

played lightly over the cello solo. The full quartet is employed

end at rehearsal number

violins play double stops

(see figure 8). This will be expanded on later during

number 23, material from the theme begins to show up layered in retrograde and

inversions. As energy is picking up in the dan

and metallic sul ponticello

14

he first true appearance of the main theme is heard four measures into the

cello solo. During the cello solo, which stays in pizzicato until the second


“work.” Different formations are made as sewing movements


Figure 8. Double stop theme in the violins at rehearsal number 22, measure 369.

In the second half of To Work, the two violins enter with high staccato notes

played lightly over the cello solo. The full quartet is employed all together

number 22. At this point, another theme enters where the two

violins play double stops during the short eighth-note rests of the cello and viola

. This will be expanded on later during Fighting the Fire

material from the theme begins to show up layered in retrograde and

As energy is picking up in the dance, the tension is met with

sul ponticello transition followed by the fire alarm bell ringing in the

he first true appearance of the main theme is heard four measures into the

until the second


are made as sewing movements


the two violins enter with high staccato notes

all together near the

22. At this point, another theme enters where the two

of the cello and viola

Fighting the Fire. By rehearsal

material from the theme begins to show up layered in retrograde and

ce, the tension is met with a grating

bell ringing in the

15

accompanying tape.

To Work leads right into Fighting the Fire without pause and the quartet is

still accompanied by the tape that is now playing sounds of fire and electronically

manipulated sounds from the strings to give off chilling effects all the way through

the end of the following piece, No Escape. Transitioning into Fighting the Fire, the

string quartet shifts the meter to a suspenseful and panicked 5/4 with a buildup to

the fortissimo at rehearsal number 25. The offbeat theme in the violins from

rehearsal number 22 appears here again (see figure 9).

Figure 9. Fighting the Fire, measures 393

Meter shifts, interspersed throughout

distress and chaos. Interrupting the chaos on two occasions is a brief section with a

manner of playing described as “Crys

sustained harmonics contrasts with the surrounding chaos and represents those

that were frozen in shock and doubting the reality of the unfolding tragedy.

During the chaotic fire scene, the main workers’ theme weaves in and out of

the frenzied trills and harsh sustains. Meanwhile, the dancers are rolling, jumping,

and running. Two dancers act as

16

Figure 9. Fighting the Fire, measures 393-403.

Meter shifts, interspersed throughout Fighting the Fire, create a mood of


manner of playing described as “Crystaline.” Here, the calmness of the hollow





and running. Two dancers act as friends displaying parts of their Freylekhs D

, create a mood of


taline.” Here, the calmness of the hollow





Freylekhs Dance

17

in a panicked manner. Some dancers are reaching for each other or helping each

other by pulling other dancers up or carrying them.

After a series of time signature shifts from 3/4 to 4/4, we arrive at a halting

solo trill in the Violin II at rehearsal number 36. The solo trill is soon met with ad lib

glissandi using harmonics in the Viola and Cello parts with a sustained screaming

high pitch in the Violin I part.

Without pause, No Escape starts with a strong and dramatic C-minor

harmony. While the dancers are frozen in a huddle, the attention focused on

another dancer on the balcony above the stage who was in character as a ghost

foretelling the deaths to come. The solo cello is accompanied by the quartet playing

longer tremolo notes. The quartet joins the cello in octaves at rehearsal number 39

and after three fortepiano chords, the solo cello part resumes. The ending is a

gloomy violin recap on the beginning cello melody in this piece. During the recap,

attention is returned to the main dancers below where half of them pose as a wall of

fire pushing the others back as they struggle to break free from the flames. At the

end of the victims’ struggles, they are carried to the center of the stage.

Threnody is an improvisatory cello solo based off of To Work. The cello is

combined with electronics that echo and alter the sound for a haunting effect. Upon

the beginning of Threnody, two dancers stand on a bench to fall to the ground, get

back up, and repeat this numerous times. They represent the many workers that

jumped to their deaths from the 8th-10th floors of the building. Once they are done

18

falling, the fallen workers do a sort of “dead dance” to portray the individuals that

died. With tattered costumes and hair down, the other dancers rush to their aid to

fix their dresses and fixing their hair. This symbolizes how their families, friends,

and coworkers upheld their images and remembered them with dignity. They try to

keep their memories alive and are determined to not have let them die in vain.

Threnody is completed by the cello sustaining a low C on the open C-string and

varying between sul ponticello and normal bowing positions.

Grave and Funeral serve the purpose of communicating hope and a

determination to continue, move on, and change. In Grave, solo sections within the

quartet resemble the main theme and are reminiscent of the solo sections of

Premonition, with a sense of sadness and insecurity. On the contrary, Funeral offers

a sense of finality with slow and stately harmonic movements in the string quartet.

The Violin I melody uses high sustained pitches. This is mirrored in the movements

of the first dancing soloist as she hauntingly points towards the audience again as in

the beginning of the dance. Her movements here are to portray the onlookers and

their pointing; saying to look at what is happening, or what has happened.

The conclusion is a hauntingly final sense driven by the high sustains in the string

quartet, and the dancers come one by one into spotlights starting the same “dead”

dance but proceeding at different speeds. The final crescendo in the string quartet

gives way to a church bell tolling as it did the day of the mass funeral, and just as the

dancers came into the spotlights one at a time, the spotlights faded out one by one.

19

CHAPTER III

THE SCORE

67

REFERENCES

American College Dance Festival Association. Newsletter, September 2012.

http://www.acdfa.org/images/files/acdfafall2012newsletter.pdf (accessed

October 19, 2012).

Bohlman, Philip V. “Jewish Music in Europe.” Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

Volume 8: Europe, ed. Timothy Rice, James Porter, and Chris Goertzen 8:248-

269. New York: Routledge: 2000.

Clean Clothes Campaign. “Cashing In – Giant Retailers, Purchasing Practices, and

Working Conditions in the Garment Industry.” http://www.cleanclothes.org/

resources/ccc/working-conditions/cashing-in (accessed October 19, 2012).

Clean Clothes Campaign. “International Action Day for Workers Health & Safety in

Bangladesh.” http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/ international-action-day-

bangladesh (accessed October 19, 2012).

Cornell University. “The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire.” http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/

trianglefire/ (accessed January 24, 2012).

Hoenig, John M. “The Triangle fire of 1911.” History Magazine, April/May 2005, 20-

23.

Shackle, Samira. “Karachi’s Factory Fire Exposes Pakistan’s Lax Health and Safety

Regime: Under pressure from wealthy industrialists putting profits over

worker safety, labour inspections are on the slide in Pakistan.” The Guardian,

September 14, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/

sep/14/karachi-factory-fire-pakistan-health-safety (accessed September 25,

2012).

Shulman-Ment, Jake. “Klezmer Fiddle “Krekhts” ornament with Jake Shulman-Ment.”

YouTube Web site. http://youtu.be/wDZHO3ip2ac (accessed November 24,

2011).

Von Drehle, David. 2003. Triangle: the fire that changed America. New York: Atlantic

Monthly Press.

68

Von Drehle, David. “The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: A Lasting Legacy, 100

Years Later.” Time Magazine, March 26, 2011. http://www.time.com/time/

magazine/article/0,9171,2061228-1,00.html (accessed January 24, 2012).

Kowalski, Elizabeth, MM One Hundred Forty-Six - Uncg

Documents

Transcript of Kowalski, Elizabeth, MM One Hundred Forty-Six - Uncg